Nura Barre, ADON, BSN, MLP, was six years old when she made her first nurse’s cap out of a small sheet of white paper and red crayon. She drew a crescent, folded it in a triangle, and stuck it her hair with two little black pincers. She proudly toured the house showing off the masterpiece to her family heralding how she would become the next Florence Nightingale. “It was my dream to become a nurse, as I had two older sisters who were nurses and I used to look up to them.”
Sixteen years following that proud moment, her nursing journey began at a maternity child hospital in a busy pediatric medical unit. From there she rotated for couple of years in different units until she landed in the operating theater (room). Following these fruitful years, she worked as a nursing attendant and went on to get her license and succeeded. She worked as RN for the first time at Rockyview General Hospital, where she gained a whole different experience in the cardiac telemetry unit and grew exponentially. She moved around to two more locations then spent three years at Peter Lougheed Medical Center as the permanent charge nurse in a busy telemetry unit. Then, she received her BSN and master’s degree in leadership and management in education. She stayed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for another seven years and worked in three different hospitals focusing on nursing management. Barre is working toward her PhD in nursing.
Over the years, Barre has discovered that the key to achieving better nursing care is getting to know patients through good nursing assessment and proper history taking. “A little bit of compassion and kindness can go a long way and put our fellow humans at ease.”
She genuinely enjoys her current position in leadership and management. “I am so glad when my colleagues come to me for advice trusting my experience and judgment.” Her passion is conflict management and resolution. “I believe that working in close to nine institutions and more than 20 units in two different countries over 20 years has elevated my problem solving abilities and helped my people management skills.”
Barre first heard about Sigma from her professor, Ms. Priyalatha at the Ras Alkhaima Medical & Health Sciences University. “She used to speak about Sigma with passion and respect. I couldn't be more honored to join this reputable organization where nurse leaders meet, contribute, and mentor.”
One of Barre’s strongest assets is policy writing. She has written, contributed, and reviewed many policies in different institutions throughout her career. She has managed many nursing and non-nursing projects where health and wellness of particular society is targeted. She is looking forward to enhancing her research skills and contributing more articles.
Nura Barre, ADON, BSN, MLP, is the duty manager at Mediclinic ME in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. She is a member of Sigma’s Psi Kappa Chapter in the Middle East.